India's historic first nuclear-powered submarine, the indigenously-developed INS Arihant, was launched at the Indian Navy's dockyard in Visakhapatnam, home to India's Eastern Naval Command.

Constructed at a cost of $2.9bn, the submarine was jointly developed by the Indian Navy, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), with assistance from Russian designers.

Five further submarines are planned, with the hulls for the second and third submarines alleged by the Indian Express to have already been constructed. Prior to the vessel's commissioning, INS Arihant will undergo extensive sea trials for at least two years.

The service life of the UK Royal Navy's Astute Class submarines, designed to replace the Swiftsure Class submarines launched between 1973 and 1977, began with the commissioning of HMS Astute in August 2010.

Of the seven Astute Class submarines ordered, two have been completed with four in various stages of construction.

HMS Ambush is expected to be commissioned by 2013, followed by HMS Artful and HMS Audacious in 2015 and 2018.

HMS Anson and HMS Agamemnon are expected to enter into service in 2020 and 2022 respectively. Although the seventh submarine, HMS Ajax, has been confirmed, no order date has been set.

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